Chair with molded panel

Abstract

A chair is provided with a seat support frame which may be comprised of at least two tubes spaced apart by a polymer connector. The seat support frame supports a foam cushion and the frame may be embedded in the foam and may include flexible supports across the support frame also embedded in the foam. A rigid panel has a cavity and the rigid panel is arranged adjacent an outer surface of the foam cushion with at least part of the foam cushion positioned within the cavity, wherein the rigid panel is affixed to the support frame and an inner surface of the rigid panel faces the outer surface of the foam cushion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A chair comprising at least one support, each support comprising:
 a seat including a metal support frame, a flexible support structure which is connected to the support frame and a foam cushion supported by the support frame and the flexible support structure; 
 a rigid panel including a cavity; 
 at least part of the seat is arranged within the cavity; 
 the rigid panel configured to rotate with the seat between occupied and un-occupied positions of the seat. 
 
     
     
       2. The chair of  claim 1  wherein said rigid panel is affixed to said support frame. 
     
     
       3. The chair of  claim 1  wherein said rigid panel includes wood. 
     
     
       4. The chair of  claim 3  wherein the wood is a veneer affixed to the rigid panel and the rigid panel is a polymeric part and the veneer is positioned on the bottom of the rigid panel. 
     
     
       5. The chair of  claim 4  wherein the veneer is positioned within a second cavity of the rigid panel such that an edge of the veneer is protected by the rigid panel. 
     
     
       6. The chair of  claim 1  wherein an inner surface of said rigid panel is spaced away from the outer surface of said seat to allow said foam cushion to deflect towards the inner surface within the cavity of the rigid panel. 
     
     
       7. The chair of  claim 1  wherein the metal support frame and flexible support structure are substantially embedded in the foam cushion. 
     
     
       8. The chair of  claim 1  wherein the metal support frame comprises two spaced tubes connected to a polymeric connector. 
     
     
       9. The chair of  claim 1  wherein the support frame comprises a narrowing slot which secures to the rigid panel. 
     
     
       10. The chair of  claim 1  wherein the foam cushion is upholstered and a fastener connected to the rigid panel secures to a narrowing slot through a hole in the foam cushion and the foam cushion provided without a hole adjacent to the fastener in the upholstery of a seating surface of the seat. 
     
     
       11. A chair comprising:
 a support with an inner surface and an outer surface; 
 a rigid panel affixed to the support adjacent the outer surface; 
 a cavity in the rigid panel facing away from the inner surface; 
 a panel secured to the rigid panel in the cavity. 
 
     
     
       12. The chair of  claim 11  wherein the panel is wood. 
     
     
       13. The chair of  claim 11  wherein the panel is positioned in the cavity such that an edge of the panel is protected by the rigid panel. 
     
     
       14. The chair of  claim 11  wherein the rigid panel includes a first cavity and the seat is positioned at least partially in the first cavity. 
     
     
       15. The chair of  claim 1  wherein the inner inward facing surface is a backrest surface. 
     
     
       16. The chair of  claim 1  wherein the inner inward facing surface is a seating surface. 
     
     
       17. A chair comprising:
 a metal support frame; 
 a foam cushion supported by said metal support frame; 
 a rigid panel having a cavity and the rigid panel arranged adjacent an outer surface of said foam cushion with at least part of said foam cushion positioned within the cavity, wherein said rigid panel is affixed to said support frame. 
 
     
     
       18. The chair of  claim 17  further comprising a decorative panel, the decorative panel positioned at least partially within a second cavity in the rigid panel. 
     
     
       19. The chair of  claim 18  wherein said second cavity is positioned at an outer surface of rigid panel. 
     
     
       20. The chair of  claim 17  wherein the support frame defines a perimeter and comprises metal tubes and a connector holding the metal tubes in a spaced arrangement to define at least part of the support frame. 
     
     
       21. The chair of  claim 20  wherein the connector is polymeric.